


Son's Confession

by analyn100



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Episode: s02e15 Revelations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 13:39:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11807082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/analyn100/pseuds/analyn100
Summary: AU ending to the Revelation episode - why Reid finally confessed after more than 2 days of torture.





	Son's Confession

AU ending to the last few minutes of the Revelation episode. And, nope, don't own the Criminal Minds series, darn it.

The smell of rotting, burning fish permeated the air, making it hard to breathe. Spencer Reid, however, hardly noticed as a scream was ripped from his throat. Hot pokers on bare skin had that effect on even the most resilient FBI Agents. Don't be ridiculous! Morgan wouldn't be screaming like a girl!

"Tobias! Help!" He begged. He turned his teary eyes towards his captor, but there was a look of steel in them, not one hint of the soft compassion that he had come to associate with the brutal unsub the team had been hunting.

"He can't help you! He's weak!" Charles' gruff voice echoed in his ears.

Reid braced himself for another round of searing pain but instead, Charles turned around abruptly and a clicking sound was heard as the webcam light came back on.

"This ends now! " Charles reached down to grab a knife from the floor. "Confess!" he snarled as he grabbed Reid's injured foot and held the knife to the bruised skin.

"I'm not a sinner!" Reid sobbed for the….what was it now - 20th time in two days. No, wait it was 23. The drugs must have muddled his brain more than he realized. He couldn't even count any more. He tried to pull his foot away , knowing what was coming. He tried to brace himself for the pain, but he couldn't. He was too exhausted to scream anymore. His brilliant mind muddled by the CPR and drugs, he had no fight left in him. He turned his gaze towards the ceiling, refusing to look at the bloody mess that was now his foot. He refused to look at the camera where he knew his team was watching in humiliation. Were they even still watching? Had they all just turned off the computer, walked away while they talked about the unsub, while giving the latest victim up for dead. Was that all he was anymore? Just another victim, another statistic? His life had been all about logic and statistics, but was that all it would be in the end? Gideon had told him that he was strong, that Hankel couldn't break him. He was wrong.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. He could almost see the disappointment in the man's eyes from across the webcam. He kept his head down, hoping to retain some of his dignity, if there was any left to save at all. But since this was being recorded, there was one other person who needed to hear his apology even more.

"What are you sorry for, boy?"

Reid took a long, drawn out breath, his voice shaking. "I sent her away."

"Who?" The voice, that of Charles was so soft and curious that for a moment he could hear a resemblance between father and son.

"My mom. I couldn't help her."

"Is that a confession?"

"Yes. I confess."

"You know your Bible, boy. Exodus 21:17."

"And he who curseth his mother or his father shall surely be put to death." Reid kept his vacant stare at the ground. This was it. He had profiled this man, mission based killers never stopped. He was going to die anyway, at least this way he could give his mom a little solace at his funeral. The momentary calm and peace he'd felt when the camera first came on and Charles' had left was gone. He had been certain that Garcia would be able to track the computer, that the team would find him before Charles could return, but it had been nearly three days. Three days that felt like an eternity. If Garcia couldn't track him, then no one could. Would they even miss him? Would they be glad for the quiet that came without his useless rambling.

The chair to which he was chained was roughly turned towards the camera. His head was pulled back by his hair, forcing him to face the camera as the knife was drawn under his chin. Reid squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the end. Any second now. Was this what it was like for everyone? The terror coupled with the relief that the pain would finally be over?

"Too easy." the voice whispered next to his ear. "I ought to give you time to think about what you've done." The knife disappeared. There was less than a second of relief and confusion before he felt something hit him hard in the back between the shoulders.

17 miles away, a scream pierced the air as the Goddess of the Cyber World covered her mouth, gaping at the sight of her Junior G-man. He had a blank stare, fixated on the screen, his breath shallow…and a knife protruding from his back.

"Say good-bye to the heathens!" The voice of the hooded man commanded.

"Good-bye. I'm sorry," Reid whispered.

"Reid." Garcia whimpered mascara dripping down her face as she touching her hand to the screen as though she'd be able to take him in her arms. She watched as his feet were uncuffed and he was dragged out of the shed, leaving nothing behind but blood and chains and an open Bible on the chair that had been his prison.


End file.
